Femtocell devices are small base stations designed for home or small business use. Femtocell devices operate in a small range and are designed to provide cellular coverage in the home or office. The typical femtocell device connects to a Security Gateway or Softswitch over an Internet Protocol (IP) connection, such as a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or broadband cable connection. The Security Gateway or Softswitch is intended to plug into the DSL or cable modem using a standard Ethernet cable.
Femto Base Stations (FBSs) can be open or closed. An open FBS accepts any compatible mobile device (e.g., accepts communications to and from any compatible cell phone, PDA, and the like). A closed FBS requires that the mobile device be authorized to access through the FBS.